• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.337-354
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• 2019

This paper presents the results of experimental and numerical studies conducted to investigate the behavior of exterior reinforced concrete beam column joints (BCJ) strengthened by using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets. Twelve reinforced concrete beam-column joints (BCJ) were tested in an experimental program by simulating the joints in seismically deficient old buildings. One group of BCJs was designed to fail in flexure at the BCJ interface, and the second group was designed to ensure joint shear failure. One specimen in each set was -retrofitted with CFRP sheet wrapped diagonally around the joint. The specimens were subjected to both monotonic and cyclic loading up to failure. 3D finite element simulation of the BCJs tested in the experimental program was carried out using the software ABAQUS, adopting the damage plasticity model (CDP) for concrete. The experimental results showed that retrofitting of the shear deficient, BCJs by CFRP sheets enhanced the strength and ductility and the failure mode changed from shear failure in the joints to the desired flexural failure in the beam segment. The FE simulation of BCJs showed a good agreement with the experimental results, which indicated that the CDP model could be used to model the problems of the monotonic and cyclic loading of beam-column reinforced concrete joints.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.377-398
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• 2019

Behavior of RC beam-column joint is very complex as the composite material behaves differently in elastic and inelastic range. The approaches generally used for predicting joint shear strength are either based on theoretical, strut-and-tie or empirical methods. These approaches are incapable of predicting the accurate response of the joint for entire range of loading. In the present study a new generalized RC beam-column joint shear strength model based on hybrid approach i.e. combined strut-and-tie and empirical approach has been proposed. The contribution of governing parameters affecting the joint shear strength under compression has been derived from compressive strut approach whereas; the governing parameters active under tension has been extracted from empirical approach. The proposed model is applicable for various conditions such as, joints reinforced either with or without shear reinforcement, joints with wide beam or wide column, joints with transverse beams and slab, joints reinforced with X-bars, different anchorage of beam bar, and column subjected to various axial loading conditions. The joint shear strength prediction of the proposed model has been compared with 435 experimental results and with eleven popular models from literature. In comparison to other eleven models the prediction of the proposed model is found closest to the experimental results. Moreover, from statistical analysis of the results, the proposed model has the least coefficient of variation. The proposed model is simple in application and can be effectively used by designers.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.361-372
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• 2019

Tubular joints are used in the construction of offshore structures and other land-based structures because of its ease of fabrication. These joints are subjected to different environmental loadings in their lifetime. At the time of fabrication or modification of an existing offshore platform, tubular joints are usually strengthened to withstand the environmental loads. Currently, various strengthening techniques such as ring stiffeners, gusset plates are employed to strengthen new and existing tubular joints. Due to some limitations with the present practices, some new techniques need to be addressed. Many researchers used Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) to strengthen tubular joints. Some of the studies were focused on axial compression of Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) strengthened tubular joints and found that it was an efficient technique. Earlier, the authors had performed studies on Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strengthened tubular joint subjected to axial compression. The study steered to the conclusion that FRP composites is an alternative strengthening technique for tubular joints. In this work, the study was focused on axial compression of Y-joint and in plane and out of plane bending of T-joints. Experimental investigations were performed on these joints, fabricated from ASTM A106 Gr. B steel. Two sets of joints were fabricated for testing, one is a reference joint and the other is a joint strengthened with CFRP. After performing the set of experiments, test results were then compared with the numerical solution in ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL). It was observed that the joints strengthened with CFRP were having improved strength, lesser surface displacement and ovalization when compared to the reference joint.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.231-243
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• 2022

Beam-column joints (BCJs) are recognized among the most crucial zones in reinforced concrete structures, as they are the critical elements subjected to a complex state of forces during a severe earthquake. Under such conditions, BCJs exhibit behaviors with impacts that extend to the whole structure and significantly influence its ductility and capability of dissipating energy. The focus of this paper is to investigate the effect of undamaged transverse beam (secondary beams) on the ductility of concrete BCJs reinforced with conventional steel and shape memory alloys bars using pushover analysis at tip of beam under different axial load levels at the column using a nonlinear finite element model in ABAQUS environment. A numerical model of a BCJ was constructed and the analysis outcomes were verified by comparing them to those obtained from previous experiments found in the literature. The comparison evidenced the capability of the calibrated model to predict the load capacity response of the joint. Results proved the ability of undamaged secondary beams to provide a noticeable improvement to the ductility of reinforced concrete joints, with a very negligible loss in load capacity. However, the effect of secondary beams can become less significant if the beams are damaged due to seismic effects. In addition, the axial load was found to significantly enhance the performance of BCJs, where the increase in axial load magnified the capacity of the joint. However, higher values of axial load resulted in greater initial stiffness of the BCJ.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1561-1580
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• 2015

No significant improvement has been observed on the seismic performance of the ordinary steel reinforced concrete (SRC) columns compared with the reinforced concrete (RC) columns mainly because I, H or core cross-shaped steel cannot provide sufficient confinement for core concrete. Two improved SRC columns by constructing with new-type section steel were put forward on this background: a cross-shaped steel whose flanges are in contact with concrete cover by extending the geometry of webs, and a rotated cross-shaped steel whose webs coincide with diagonal line of the column's section. The advantages of new-type SRC columns have been proved theoretically and experimentally, while construction measures and seismic behavior remain unclear when the new-type columns are joined onto SRC beams. Seismic behavior of SRC joints with new-type section steel were experimentally investigated by testing 5 specimens subjected to low reversed cyclic loading, mainly including the failure patterns, hysteretic loops, skeleton curves, energy dissipation capacity, strength and stiffness degradation and ductility. Effects of steel shape, load angel and construction measures on seismic behavior of joints were also analyzed. The test results indicate that the new-type joints display shear failure pattern under seismic loading, and steel and concrete of core region could bear larger load and tend to be stable although the specimens are close to failure. The hysteretic curves of new-type joints are plumper whose equivalent viscous damping coefficients and ductility factors are over 0.38 and 3.2 respectively, and this illustrates the energy dissipation capacity and deformation ability of new-type SRC joints are better than that of ordinary ones with shear failure. Bearing capacity and ductility of new-type joints are superior when the diagonal cross-shaped steel is contained and beams are orthogonal to columns, and the two construction measures proposed have little effect on the seismic behavior of joints.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1017-1029
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• 2016

When a welded circular hollow section (CHS) tubular joint is subjected to brace axial loading, failure position is located usually at the weld toe on the chord surface due to the weak flexural stiffness of the thin-walled chord. The failure mode is local yielding or buckling in most cases for a tubular joint subjected to axial load at the brace end. Especially when a cyclic axial load is applied, fracture failure at the weld toe may occur because both high stress concentration and welding residual stress along the brace/chord intersection cause the material in this region to become brittle. To improve the ductility as well as to increase the static strength, a tubular joint can be reinforced by increasing the chord thickness locally near the brace/chord intersection. Both experimental investigation and finite element analysis have been carried out to study the hysteretic behaviour of the reinforced tubular joint. In the experimental study, the hysteretic performance of two full-scale circular tubular T-joints subjected to cyclic load in the axial direction of the brace was investigated. The two specimens include a reinforced specimen by increasing the wall thickness of the chord locally at the brace/chord intersection and a corresponding un-reinforced specimen. The hysteretic loops are obtained from the measured load-displacement curves. Based on the hysteretic curves, it is found that the reinforced specimen is more ductile than the un-reinforced one because no fracture failure is observed after experiencing similar loading cycles. The area enclosed by the hysteretic curves of the reinforced specimen is much bigger, which shows that more energy can be dissipated by the reinforced specimen to indicate the advantage of the reinforcing method in resisting seismic action. Additionally, finite element analysis is carried out to study the effect of the thickness and the length of the reinforced chord segment on the hysteretic behaviour of CHS tubular T-joints. The optimized reinforcing method is recommended for design purposes.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.455-462
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• 2020

This study investigated the effect of horizontal casting joints on the mechanical properties and structural behavior of sustainable self-compacting reinforced concrete beams (SCRCB). The experimental research consisted of two stages. The first stage used four types of concrete mixtures which were produced to indicate the effects of cement replaced with cement waste at 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% by weight of cement content on fresh concrete properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) such as, passing ability, filling ability, and segregation resistance. In addition, mechanical properties such as compressive, tensile, and flexural strength were also studied. The second stage selected the best mixture from the first stage and studied the effect of horizontal casting joints on the structural behavior of sustainable SCRCBs. The effect of horizontal casting joints on the mechanical properties and structural behavior were at the 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of sample height. Load deflection, failure mode, and theoretical analysis were studied. Results indicated that the incorporation of replacement with cement waste by 5% to 10% led to economic and environmental advantages, and the results were acceptable for fresh and mechanical properties. The results indicated that delaying the time for casting the second layer and increasing the cement waste in concrete mixtures had a great effect on the mechanical properties of SCC. The ultimate load capacity of horizontal casting joints reinforced concrete beams slightly decreased compared with the control beam. The maximum deflection of casting joint beams with 75% of samples height is similar with the control beam. The experimental results of reinforced concrete beams were substantially acceptable with the theoretical results. The failure modes obtained the best forced casting joint on the structural behavior at 50% height of casting in the beam.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.427-443
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• 2014

This paper presents detailed analysis of the internal forces of interior beam-column joints of reinforced concrete (RC) frames under seismic action, identifies critical joint sections, proposes consistent definitions of average joint shear stress and average joint shear strain, derives formulas for calculating average joint shear and joint torque, and reports simplified analysis of the effects of joint shear and torque on the flexural strengths of critical joint sections. Numerical results of internal joint forces and flexural strengths of critical joint sections are presented for a pair of concentric and eccentric interior connections extracted from a seismically designed RC frame. The results indicate that effects of joint shear and torque may reduce the column-to-beam flexural strength ratios to below unity and lead to "joint-yielding mechanism" for seismically designed interior connections. The information presented in this paper aims to provide some new insight into the seismic behavior of interior beam-column joints and form a preliminary basis for analyzing the complicated interaction of internal joint forces.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.631-645
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• 2011

The capacity design rule for beam-column joints, as adopted by the EC8, forces the formation of the plastic hinges to be developed in beams rather than in columns. This is achieved by deriving the design moments of the columns of a joint from equilibrium conditions, assuming that plastic hinges with their possible overstrengths have been developed in the adjacent beams of the joint. In this equilibrium the parameters (dimensions, material properties, axial forces etc) are, in general, random variables. Hence, the capacity design is associated with a probability of non-compliance (probability of failure). In the present study the probability of non-compliance of the capacity design rule of joints is being calculated by assuming the basic variables as random variables. Parameters affecting this probability are examined and a modification of the capacity design rule for beam-column joints is proposed, in order to achieve uniformity of the safety level.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.665-680
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• 2016

This paper focuses on the study of seismic behavior of steel reinforced concrete special-shaped column-beam joints. Six specimens, which are designed according to the principle of strong-member and weak-joint core, are tested under low cyclic reversed load. Key parameters include the steel form in column section and the ratio of column limb height to thickness. The failure mode, load-displacement curves, ductility, stiffness degradations, energy dissipation capacity and shear deformation of joint core of the test subassemblies are analyzed. The results indicate that SRC special-shaped column-beam joints have good seismic behavior. All specimens failed due to the shear failure of the joint core, and the failure degree between the two sides of joint core is similar for the exterior joint but different for the corner joint. Compared to the joints with channel steel truss, the joints with solid web steel skeleton illustrate better ductility and energy dissipation capacity, but the loading capacity and stiffness are roughly close. With the increasing of the ratio of column limb height to thickness, the joints illustrate higher loading capacity and stiffness, better energy dissipation capacity, but worse ductility.